Power supplies are used in all electronic equipment, including computer systems and data storage systems. For devices requiring substantial power, robust conductors leading to and from the power supplies are required. Since the electronic equipment requires a very steady, regulated source of power, it is critical that the electrical contact between the power supply input and output conductors and the device wiring or buss which carries the power be absolutely sound; even extremely brief intermittent connection episodes can cause severe problems to the electronic equipment fed from the power supply.
The power supplies for these larger pieces of electronic equipment are also relatively large and heavy. Of course it is necessary for personnel to have access to the power supplies and to be able to remove and replace them if necessary. Accordingly, the power supplies are typically arranged to be slid in and out of cabinets. If wires or cables are used to run power to and from the power supplies, they can easily get tangled during a sliding operation. Accordingly, operation is facilitated by using buss bars to which the power supplies connect. The use of buss bars requires the use of an electrical interconnect device connected to the buss bar, and a mating electrical interconnect device for the power supply, in which the two interconnect devices slidingly engage and disengage.
One such prior art power supply interconnect device which has been used with power supplies having blade-shaped conductors is shown in FIG. 1. Interconnect device 10 is bolted to buss bar 13 with bolt 15. Device 10 is arranged to engage and disengage with power supply electrical supply blade 14 of power supply 12 with contact arms 18 and 20 which are urged together by spring 28. Ends 24 and 26 of arms 18 and 20, respectively, are flared to provide a relatively wide opening so that the blade 14 does not have to be perfectly aligned with arms 18 and 20 in order to make good contact.
Interconnect device 10, however, has not proven to be a totally acceptable solution to the problem of providing electrical interconnection to a power supply blade having two flat sides. The primary problem is that the quality of the electrical contact between blade 14 and device 10 is dependent on spring 28. If power supply 12 or device 10 is subject to any vibration, blade 14 can bounce in contacts 18 and 20 and cause brief periods of intermittent contact, which can be fatal to the electronics dependent on a constant source of power from the power supply.